Clutch operating device for motor vehicles



Oct. 20, 1936. E. e. HILL, JR 2,058,313

CLUTCH OPERATING DEVICEFOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Sept. 8, 1930' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I v gwwntoz 212M400 61 7/ .lllllllllllll ill hht HH- Illlll Oct. 20, 1936. E] HILL, JR

CLUTCH 'OPERATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1930 I 7/ I n 7 66 ii w 60. V

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Patented Qct. .20, 1936 MOTO VEHICLES Edward G. Hill, In, Richmond, Va., assignor to Hill Engineering Corporation, Richmond, Va...

a corporation of Virginia Application September 8, 1930, Serial No. 480598 4 Claims.

This invention relates to clutch operating devices for motor vehicles.

In my copending applications Serial No. 364,- 246, filed May 18th, 1929, and Serial No. 431,001,

5 filed February 24th, 1930, I have disclosed'differential pressure mechanisms adapted for operating the clutch and brake'mecham'sms of a motor vehicle. It has been found, however, that there is considerable demand for a simple form of difl ferential pressure operated device for actuating the clutch pedal only of a motor vehicle, and the present invention therefore is an improvement in a sense over the structures shown in my copending applications for actuating motor 15 vehicle clutch pedals.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a simple and emcient device which readily may be installed on a motor vehicle for operating the clutch pedal thereof;

20 A further object is to provide a novel device operated by differential pressure for moving the clutch pedal of a motor vehicle to depressed or inoperative position, and for automatically .con-

trolling the return movement of the clutch pedal 25 to operative position.

A further object is to provide a device of the character referred to which is controlled from the gear shift lever of the vehicle for causing the clutch pedal to be depressed, and which is auto- 30 matically operable upon release of the control device for retarding the movement of the clutch elements to normal position at the point where such elements are about to become engaged so as to prevent the grabbing of the clutch.

35 A further object is to provide a device of the character referred to wherein the point at which the return movement ofthe clutch pedal is retarded may be varied according to each individual installation, and to provide means for 40 regulating the rate'of movement of the parts to govern the retarded movement of the clutch elements as they become engaged whereby a smooth clutch engaging action is accomplished.

A further object is to provide a device of the 45 character referred to which is adapted to utilize the suction of the intake manifold of the engine as the source of differential pressure, and wherein a simple difierential pressure power device is employed together with novel control valve means therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

of the invention. In this showing,

Figure l is a side elevation of a motor vehicle engine and associated elements showing the invention applied,

Figure 2 is an enlargedsection on line 2-2 of Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail section on line 4-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a detail section of the gear shift lever knob and associated elements.

Referring to Figure 1 the numeral ill designates a motor vehicle engine having the usual exhaust manifold H and intake manifold I2, the latter being supplied with a combustible mixture by a carbureter l3. A clutch housing It is ar ranged rearwardly of the engine and connects the latter tothe elements of a gear set it. The usual gear shift lever 16 is provided and has a gear shift knob H at its upper end to be referred to 20 in detail later. K

The gearshift lever and associated elements project upwardly through the floor B8 of the vehicle, the forward portion of which slopes up-' wardly as at H! and connects to a dashzil. The usual clutch pedal 2t operates through a slot in the sloping floor boards l9 and is connected to a clutch control shaft 22. The elements of the device so far described form no part of the present invention and constitute standard practice in automobile manufacture.

The numeral 23 designates a. diaphragm housing as a whole comprising complementary frustro-. conical sections 24 and 25 having. the edge portions of a diaphragm 26 arranged therebetween;

The edges of the housing sections 2t and the edge portion of the diaphragm 26 are secured together by rivets 21 or any other suitable fastening means. The central portion of the diaphragm is provided with plates 28 secured against the diaphragm by rivets 29. v

A hearing member so is secured in any suitable manner against the bottom of the casing section 25 and'slidably receives anoperating rod it. A pressure lubricating fitting 32 is preferably provided for the bearing 30. The upperend of the rod 3i may be reduced as at 33 to extend through the plates 28 and diaphragm 26, and a nut 3 is threaded on the upper'reduced extremity of the rod. It will be apparent that differential pressure on opposite sides of the vdiaphragm it is adapted to transmit vertical movement to the rod 3|.

A supporting bracket 35 is mounted on any suitable part of the vehicle and supports a shaft 36.

I This shaft in turn rotatably supports a pulley 31 grooved to receive a cable 38. A guard 39 is preferably provided to prevent the cable from becoming displaced from the groove of the pulley 31. A yoke 48 is carried by one end of the cable and is pivotally connected as at 4| to the clutch pedal 2|. A yoke 42 is connected to the opposite end of the cable, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

This yoke receives the reduced lower end 43 of the rod 3|. An arm 44 passes through the arms of the yoke 42 and the end 43 and is threaded in nuts 45 arranged against the arms of the yoke. The arm 44 projects'laterally a substantial distance and is provided in its free end with an eye 46 for a purpose to be described.

A valve casing 41 is mounted adjacent the diaphragm casing 23, and is preferably rigidly secured thereto prior to the installation of the device in a motor vehicle. In this way, installation costs are held at a minimum since most of the assembling of the device is done at the factory. In the present instance, the valve casing has been shown as being provided with a projecting lug 48. One of the rivets 21 is omitted from the diaphragm casing and a bolt 49 is substituted therefor and passes through the lug 48 to support the valve casing.

A valve 58 is slidable in the casing 41 and is provided intermediate its ends with a reduced portion 5|. Reciprocation of the valve is accomplished by movement of a flexible wire 52 which extends through a suitable opening drilled axially through the bottom of the valve 50, and the wire may be secured to the valve by a set screw 52'. A plug 53 is arranged in the bottom of the valve casing and is secured thereto by a set screw 54. A flexible housing 55 projects through the plug 53, as shown in Figure 2, and the wire 52 is slidable in the housing 55.

The gear shift knob I1 is offset with respect to the gear shift lever, as clearly shownin Figure 5. The top of the gear shift knob is provided with a recess 56 in which is arranged a compression spring 51. A'push button 58 is slidable in the recess 56 and is normally urged upwardly by the spring 51. The housing 55 projects into a recess 58, formed in the bottom of the knob l1, and the flexible wire 52 projects upwardly through the knob for connection with the button 58.

The valve 50 is slidable upwardly upon de' pression of the button 58, and when the button is released, the spring 51 returns the button and valve to their normal positions. A set screw 60 may be provided for limiting the downward movement of the valve, as shown in Figure 3. The valve thus is in normal communication with a pipe 6| threaded in a boss 62 formed integral with the valve casing 41. The other end of the pipe 6| is connected to a fitting 63 tapped into the intake manifold l2.

The valve casing is provided at its upper end with a boss 64 in which is mounted a short pipe section 65. This pipe section is connected by a union 66 to a similar pipe section 61 threaded into a dome 68, as shown inFigure 2. This dome may be provided with a lower peripheral flange 69 welded or/ otherwise secured against the top wall of the diaphragm casing section 24.

A vent valve 10 engages a valve seat 1| formed in the upper end of the casing 41. The valve is vertically movable and is provided with depending guides 12 slidable against the inner surface of the valve casing. Aball113 is carried by the top of the Valve 18.

A rod 14 is arranged parallel to the valve casment with a wing nut 82.

ing and is slidable in a guide 15 preferably formed integral therewith. The upper end of the rod 14 extends across the top of the valve casing as' at 16 and is provided with a socket 11 receiving the ball 13. One end of a light tension spring 18 is secured at its lower end as at 19 to the rod 14 and at its upper end as at 80 to the valve casing 41. The lower end of the-rod 14 extends through the eye 46, as shown in Figure 3. A compression spring 8| has its upper end normally in engagement with the. eye 46 and its lower end in engage- A collar 83 may be mounted on the rod 14 to limit its upward movement under conditions to be referred to.

Referring to Figure 4 it will be noted that the. valve casing is provided with a vent opening 84,

the effective area of which is determined by the position of an adjusting screw 85. This screw is provided with a lock nut 86 to permit it to be secured in adjusted position.

It is necessary of course, to vent the bottom diaphragm casing 25 to the atmosphere when the space above the diaphragmlis connected to 'the intake manifold. The venting of the space beneath the diaphragm may be accomplished in any desired manner, and in the present instance, the lower diaphragm casing is shown as being provided with an opening 81 havinga fine mesh screen 88 arranged over the vent opening to prevent foreign material from entering the lower casing.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The shifting of the gears may be accomplished without manually depressing the clutch pedal 2|. When it is desired to shift gears, the operator will grasp the knob l1 and depress the button 58. Movement of the button will be transmitted to the valve 50 through the flexible -wire 52, and thus the space around the cut-out portion 5| of the valve will establish communication between the pipes GI and 65.,

Under such conditions, the space above the diaphragm 26 will communicate with the intake manifold, thus establishing a pressure differential on opposite sides of the diaphragm to cause the latter to move upwardly. This upward movement is transmitted to the rod 3|, thus exerting a pull on the cable 38 and pulling the clutch pedal'to depressed position to disengage the clutch. The operator then may shift gears through movement of the knob l1, and release the button 58 to permitit to return to normal position. Assuming that the operator has started in first gear, the accelerator pedal will be depressed upon the release of the button 58 in accordance with standard practice.

Upward movement of the rod 3| in the manner previously described obviously causes the arm 44 and eye 46 to be moved upwardly, thus releasing the rod 14 from the tension of the compression spring 8|. The tension spring 18 thereupon moves the rod 14 upwardly to unseat the valve 10 and afford communication between the atmosphere and the upper end of the chamber 41. The spring 18 holds the valve 10 in open position as long as the clutch pedal is depressed, and the button 58 is depressed against the tension of the spring 51 in the gear shift lever knob. The valve 50, however, will be in operative position at this time and the upper end of the valve will cut oil? communication between the pipe and tively slow movement; of air into the upper end of the valve casing 41, and consequently into the in Figures 2 and 3. At this time, communication will be afforded between the top of the diaphragm casing and the atmosphere through the pipes 65 and 61, and past the valve 10. Thus equalization oiE pressure will be rapidly established in the diaphragm chamber, and .the diaphragm will move downwardly to permit the clutch pedal to return toward normal position.

As is well known, the clutch pedal of a motor sion of the lighter spring 18, and the valve 10 will be seated. v

-The rapid movement of the clutch pedal back to normal position thus will be checked just prior to the point of engagement of the clutch elements, and the bleed opening Mpermits a relatop ofthe diaphragm casing to permit relatively slow movement of the parts to normal position. Obviously, therefore, the clutch elements will be brought into engagement with each other. slowly in accordance with standard practice of the manual control of the clutch pedal, and thus grabbingof the clutch will be prevented. As soon as the vehicle has picked up sufficient momentum. in

first gear, the operation is repeated for intermediate and high gears, the clutch mechanism operating in the'manner desired in each instance.

Difierent vehicles vary as to the exact point of engagement of the clutch elements with relation to the travel of the clutch pedal and the proper checking of the movement of the clutcli'pedal to return position may be secured byadjusting the wing nut 82 to determine the point in the return movement of the rod 3| at which the arm 44 will effect the closing of the valve 10. The rate of movement of the clutch pedal to normal posi tion after the checking action has taken place readily may be governed by adjustment of the screw 85. For example, if it is found that the elements of the clutch are brought together too slowly, the screw maybe backed out to increase the efiective cross-sectional area of the bleed port 84'. Conversely, the efiective area of the port 84 may be decreased by turning the 'screw 85 inwardly if it is found that the clutch engagement takes place too rapidly.

Accordingly it will be apparent that accurate adjustment readily may be made to permit the checking action to take place at any desired point and to bring the clutch elements into engagement in the proper manner. The rapid movement of the parts as they start toward their normal positions greatly minimizes the time required for operating the clutch, and thus permits the shifting of the gears to take place easily and rapidly. It will be noted in this connection that the partial vacuum in the intake manifold is always communicated to the space surrounding the cut out portion 5| of the valve, and thus is in a position to be immediately communicated to the upper chamber not the diaphragm mechanism as soon as the button .58 is depressed. Thus it will be apparent that the gears may'be shifted immediately upon the depression of the button 58.

The mounting of the valve mechanism on the diaphragm casing minimizesthe work required for the assembling of the device. When the device is to be mounted on a vehicle, it merely is necessary to support the diaphragm casing by means of a suitable bracket secured to the dash, as shown in Figure l, to support the bearing 35, tap the intake manifold to receive the fitting63, and'drill the clutch pedal for reception of the pivot pin 4|.

Thus it will be apparent that the cost of installing the device will be very small.

Where the expression normal position, or some similar expression, is employed in the claims, it is understood that this expression has reference to the position to which the part referred to will move in the absence of any especially applied force moving or holding the-part away from such position.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example .of the-same and that various changes inthe shape, size and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

position to establish communication between said ports, said housing having an open end adapted to communicate with the atmosphere and normally in communication with the port leading to said "end of said chamber, an auxiliary valve adapted to seat against the open end of said valve housing, said valve housing being provided with a bleed port affording limited communication between said last mentioned port and the atmosphere independently of said auxiliary valve,

means operativefor opening said auxiliary valve when theclutch elements are disengaged by said power device, and spring means constantly urging said auxiliary valve toward closed position. v

2. Apparatus constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means operative for opening said auxiliary valve comprises a; slidablerod connected to said auxiliary valve and a spring connected to said rod, and an arm carried bysaid connecting means, said spring means being ar ranged between said arm and said rod.

3. Apparatus constructed in accordance with claim '1 provided with an adjusting member carried by said valve housingand operative for varying the efiective area of said bleed port.

4. The combination witha motor vehicle clutch having a normal bias to operative position, and an operating pedal therefor, of a power device including a chamber having a member therein operative by difierential pressure on opposite sides thereof, means connecting said member to the clutch pedal, a valve housing having a pair of ports one communicating with one end of said chamber and the other with a source of differential pressure, a valve mounted in said housing and normally occupying one position to disconnect said ports from each other, said valve being movable to a second position to establish communication between said means rendered operative for opening said auxiliary valve when the clutch elements are disengaged by said power device, said last named means being rendered inoperative as said clutch elements approach operative position, and spring means constantly urging said auxiliary valve toward closed position.

EDWARD G. HILL, JR. 

